[Christmas] Classical music to listen to at Christmas: recommended sacred Christmas songs

Silent Nightfranz Xaver Gruber

Stille Nacht, Silent Night (Originalversion/original version), alle 6 Strophen

A Christmas carol with lyrics by Joseph Mohr and music by Franz Xaver Gruber, also famous as a song sung at Christmas.

In Japan, the Japanese translation of the lyrics by Yasushi Yugi, a pastor and hymn writer, is well known.

It’s wonderful to hear it sung by a church choir, and also great to sing it together at a Christmas party—please enjoy a Christmas where this song plays in many different situations.

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SAKI

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I hear a voice calling me to awaken.J.S.Bach

Bach – Wachet Auf

Cantata No.

140 by Bach.

It consists of seven movements, and the first, “Chorale: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” (Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying), features the warm timbre of oboes and strings that feels wonderfully comforting.

It’s perfect as background music for enjoying a Christmas lunch or afternoon tea rather than dinner! Listening to its refined-sounding melody makes me feel as though I, too, become a bit more elegant.

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HodieRalph Vaughan Williams

Ralph Vaughan Williams: Hodie (1954)

Every year, as the Christmas season approaches, the atmosphere of the city shifts and becomes more lively, doesn’t it? Perfect for this time of year is the Christmas Cantata that Ralph Vaughan Williams released in 1954.

It’s a grand choral work that weaves together stories from the Bible and poems by various writers, beautifully expressing the sanctity and joy of Christmas.

With solo parts for soprano, tenor, and baritone, alongside mixed chorus, children’s chorus, and full orchestra, it’s a large-scale piece ideal for anyone who wants to enjoy authentic Christmas music.

You’ll also hear folk-like melodies reminiscent of English traditional songs throughout, which adds a friendly, approachable charm.

If you’d like to spend Christmas in a relaxed mood, make this piece your background music and welcome a truly sacred time.

Christmas OvertureSamuel Coleridge-Taylor

Christmas Overture: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, a conductor-composer who gained popularity in the United States, died young at the age of 37, but after his death his masterpieces were reworked by various arrangers.

This staple Christmas piece, the Christmas Overture, was rearranged by Sydney Baynes in 1925, thirteen years after Coleridge-Taylor’s death.

It was then that the work became widely known, and it remains a beloved American Christmas classic to this day.

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Fantasia on GreensleevesRalph Vaughan Williams

England ,Ralph Vaughan Williams , Fantasia on Greensleeves.

Originally used as the Act III interlude in Vaughan Williams’s 1928 opera Sir John in Love, the piece was arranged and extracted as an independent work by Ralph Greaves.

It was first premiered in London in September 1934, conducted by the composer himself.

Scored for small orchestra, it’s a perfect Christmas piece inspired by the English folk song Greensleeves.

The Skaters’ WaltzÉmile Waldteufel

The Skaters' Waltz — Waldteufel

This is a waltz composed by Waldteufel, who was also known as the Waltz King of France.

Also called “The Skaters,” it is extremely popular in Japan.

The piece has a very elegant, relaxed character and, while a classical standard, is also beloved as a piano study and as ballet music.

Around Christmastime it is often performed with handbells, making it a very approachable piece.